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Badgers Open Big Ten Play At Nebraska Cornhuskers

Bo Ryan and the Badgers begin Big Ten play at Nebraska on Tuesday.
It's difficult to imagine any team facing a more difficult schedule between now and January 21 than what the Nebraska Cornhuskers find themselves up against. The tough stretch gets underway Tuesday night in Lincoln where the Cornhuskers host the No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers.

ESPN2 will broadcast the tip from Bob Devaney Sports Center a little past 9:00 p.m. (ET). Wisconsin opened as an 8-point favorite with the total sitting at a low, low 105.

Tuesday's tussle is Nebraska's first Big Ten contest on the hardwood, and the schedule makers certainly didn't take it easy on the 'Huskers as they get their feet wet in the conference. Six of the first eight Big Ten opponents for Doc Sadler's side are ranked, and Nebraska will have to tangle with these Badgers and the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes twice in that span. The Cornhuskers will also host No. 17 Michigan State and No. 15 Indiana, plus have a road trip to face Illinois.

If there is a breather over the next four weeks, it's a home date on Jan. 11 vs. Penn State.

As if the schedule wasn't demanding enough, the Cornhuskers (8-3 straight up, 3-4 against the spread) could be without two of its top four scorers when taking the floor Tuesday night. Forward Jorge Brian Diaz (10.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG) is questionable while nursing a foot injury that has held him out of action the past two games, and guard Dylan Talley (9.1 PPG) is also questionable after missing the last two games with a bruised thigh.

Toney McCray has helped make up for some of the scoring lost without Diaz and Talley the past two games. The 6-foot-6 senior guard combined for 31 points in wins over Alcorn State and Central Michigan, hitting 13 of his 19 field goal attempts and adding 15 boards in the contests.

Bo Spencer leads Nebraska in scoring (16.0) and assists (4.3), and has been just about unflappable at the free throw line where the senior has converted 45-of-52 attempts. He and McCray will still need a lot of help to put enough offense on the board against a very stingy Wisconsin defense, and Brandon Ubel's presence inside in place of Diaz could be the key, especially on the offensive glass to give the Cornhuskers extra chances to score.

Calling the Badgers stingy on defense is actually an understatement. Wisconsin (11-2 SU, 8-2 ATS) leads the nation allowing opponents just 44.7 points per game. Just two teams have reached the 60-point mark against the Badgers, both losses at then-No. 5 North Carolina (60-57) and at home to then-No. 16 Marquette (61-54).

In addition to a suffocating defense we've come to expect from a squad coached by Bo Ryan, Wisconsin ranks third in the country in fewest turnovers with just 8.6 per outing. Nebraska's defense is forcing more than 13 miscues per game by its opponents, tied with the Badgers for tops among Big Ten teams, a stat to watch as this game unfolds.

The biggest difference in the two offenses comes in the 3-point column where Wisconsin is hitting a gaudy 40.2 percent of its long-range shots, 22nd in the country, compared to Nebraska sinking 35.3 percent (173rd). Ben Brust has been the biggest threat from outside for the Badgers, connecting on 31 of his 69 heaves from beyond the arc. Brust's 10.8 PPG is third on the team behind Jared Berggren (12.5) and Jordan Taylor (12.2).

Berggren will be a matchup problem for Nebraska's defense since the 6-foot-10 junior can take his game outside. If Berggren can keep Ubel – or Diaz, if he plays – from clogging up the middle of the lane, it should open things up for the Badgers.

It's been more than 13 years since the two schools met on a basketball court, with Nebraska leading the all-time series 10-6. Wisconsin has lost both games played at Devaney Center, but each came more than 20 years ago.

The two sides enter this one with disagreeing trends as far as totals go. The Cornhuskers sport a 5-2 mark to the 'over,' something that can be attributed to their opponents' scoring as much as theirs. Wisconsin is 7-2 'under,' and that's entirely on the defense which has held 10 of its 13 antagonists to their season-low on the scoreboard. The teeny total set for this one suggests oddsmakers expecting UW to hold NU well below its fewest points of the campaign (51).

There shouldn't be any danger of a look-ahead spot for the Badgers who return home to play Iowa this Saturday. Nebraska will remain at home for Saturday's matchup with Michigan State. The 'Huskers and Badgers will meet again on Jan. 15 in Madison.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

College basketball fans will get their first real taste of conference play this week when the Big East and Big Ten begin their conference schedules with a number of key matchups. This week also provides a final chance to see some of the other top schools in the country butt heads against one another in a non-conference matchup before the start of their conference play right after the New Year.
The following is a brief look at the top matchups for each day this week along with a few facts and figures to help handicap the games.

Tuesday, December 27

No. 14 Wisconsin Badgers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Wisconsin extended its recent winning streak to five games this past Friday with a 79-45 romp over Mississippi Valley State as a 29-point home favorite. The Badgers are now 11-2 straight up on the year and 8-2 against the spread. The total has stayed ‘under’ in eight of their 10 games. Wisconsin is 3-1 ATS in four previous road games this season.

Nebraska comes into this game at 8-3 SU, but just 3-4 ATS. It is just 1-4 ATS in its last five games and 1-3 ATS in four home games. The total has gone ‘over’ in five of the seven games. The Cornhuskers are ranked in the bottom third of Division I in both points (66.8) and rebounds (34.6) per game.

Wednesday, December 28

No. 17 Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. No. 7 Baylor Bears

The Bulldogs have reeled-off 11 straight victories ever since an ugly 68-58 loss to Akron as nine-point home favorites on Nov. 9. They are now 12-1 SU and 7-5 ATS. The total has gone ‘over’ in seven of the 12 games. Mississippi State is averaging 77.2 points a game and shooting 47.8 percent from the floor.

Baylor brings a spotless 12-0 SU record into this game and a 4-1 record ATS. The Bears are ranked 22nd in the nation in scoring with 79.6 points a game and shooting 50.2 percent from the field. Defensively, they have held their opponents to just 59.3 points per game.

Thursday, December 29

Vanderbilt Commodores vs. No. 10 Marquette Golden Eagles

Vanderbilt is 3-3 SU in its last six games including overtime losses to both Xavier and Louisville. It is 8-4 SU overall and 4-4 ATS. John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor have combined for 28.5 points and 8.5 rebounds to lead the Commodores.

Marquette has climbed to No. 10 in the country with an 11-1 record SU, but it is just 3-5-1 ATS overall and 0-2-1 ATS at home. These two teams met last year with the Golden Eagles coming-up one-point short in a 77-76 loss as seven-point road underdogs.

Friday, December 30

No. 8 Missouri Tigers vs. Old Dominion Monarchs

Missouri remained perfect on the year with a 78-74 victory over Illinois last Thursday as a seven-point home favorite. It is now 12-0 SU and 5-2 ATS. The total has gone ‘over’ in five of the seven games. The Tigers are ranked second in the country in both points per game (87.1) and field-goal percentage (51.9).

Old Dominion, out of the Colonial Athletic Association, is off to a 6-6 start SU and is 3-5 ATS. Last season, the Monarchs lost to Missouri 81-58 as eight-point road underdogs. Earlier this season, they covered as 19 ½-point underdogs in a 62-52 loss to then-No.2 Kentucky.

Saturday, December 31

No. 4 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats

Louisville is a perfect 12-0 SU this season but just 1-4-1 ATS in its last six games and 4-4-1 ATS overall. The total has stayed ‘under’ in six of the nine games. The Cardinals are averaging 73.2 points a game and are ranked ninth in the nation in rebounds with 41.2 a game.

Kentucky comes into this in-state rivalry at 11-1 SU, but just 3-7-1 ATS. The total has stayed ‘under’ in seven of its 11 games. Last season the Wildcats crushed the Cardinals 78-63 as three-point road underdogs. The total stayed ‘under’ the 141-point line.

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 18 Indiana Hoosiers

The Buckeyes cruised through the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 12-1 record SU (4-4 ATS). Their only setback was a 78-67 loss to then-No.13 Kansas as 1.5-point road underdogs on Dec. 10. Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger leads the team with 16.2 points and 9.2 rebounds a game. As a team, the Buckeyes are averaging 78.6 points a game.

Indiana has been one of the biggest surprises this season with a perfect 12-0 start SU including a stunning 73-72 upset of then-No.1 Kentucky as a 5 ½-point home underdog. The Hoosiers are 7-0 ATS overall and 4-0 ATS at home this season. They are averaging 84.5 points a game and shooting 51.4 percent from the floor.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

The Tuesday NBA card gives bettors five games to wager on, including a mammoth matchup between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics and Heat meet up for the first time since the second round of the playoffs, while the Jazz start their season in Los Angeles against the worn-down Lakers. We'll begin in South Florida with the first game of the TNT doubleheader.

Celtics at Heat (-9 ½, 187) - 8:05 PM EST

Both these teams started the regular season on the road with dramatically different results. Boston rallied from a 17-point deficit to take a late fourth quarter lead at New York, but the Celtics fell short in a 106-104 loss as five-point underdogs. The C's head to Miami to take on a Heat squad that picked up a modicum of revenge by blowing out the Mavericks in an NBA Finals revenge, 105-94 as 4 ½-point favorites. The final score doesn't indicate Miami's domination of Dallas, as the Heat led by 35 at one point, while LeBron James pumped in a game-high 37 points.

The Celtics are playing with a chip on their shoulders after getting eliminated by the Heat in five games of last season's playoffs. Miami won all three home games in the series, including a 107-97 victory in the Game 5 clincher, while picking up the fortuitous cover as 7 ½-point favorites with some late baskets. Four of the five games finished 'over' the total, a stark contrast from the 3-1 'under' mark in the four regular season meetings.

Boston found a way to hang around on Sunday afternoon without Paul Pierce, who missed the game with a heel injury. Pierce is listed as doubtful for Tuesday night, as the All-Star forward averaged 19 points per game in the second round series against Miami, while shooting just 43% from the floor in the three road games.

The Heat finished the regular season at 15-25 ATS as home favorites in 2010-11, as Miami split two meetings with Boston prior to their postseason series. The Celtics own an 8-4 ATS record as road underdogs since the start of last season, including the cover at New York on Sunday.

Jazz at Lakers (-4 ½, 186) - 10:35 PM EST

Every team in the NBA will be playing at least one set of back-to-back-to-back games in this shortened season. The Lakers will get this exhausting sequence out of the way after Tuesday night as Los Angeles returns to Staples Center to host Utah. The Jazz will be the last team to take the court as Utah attempts to take advantage of a tired, beat-up Lakers squad.

The Lakers cashed in their season opener as 4 ½-point home underdogs in an 88-87 defeat to the Bulls, as Derrick Rose's floater in the lane clinched the victory for Chicago. However, the Purple and Gold fell on Monday night at Sacramento, 100-91, to drop to 0-2 on the season. Los Angeles will be back in the home favorite role on Tuesday, as the Lakers played at Staples Center with no rest only once last season (101-94 victory as 4 ½-point 'chalk' vs. Oklahoma City).

The Jazz went through plenty of transition last season with Jerry Sloan's sudden retirement and the trade of point guard Deron Williams to New Jersey. Utah never recovered after a surprising start, going 8-17 SU and 9-15-1 ATS following the Williams deal in late February. The offseason overhaul continued with the departure of Mehmet Okur to New Jersey, while Andrei Kirilenko declared for free agency after his contract expired.

These two clubs split the four meetings last season, with each team claiming a win on the other's home court in the series. The Jazz pulled out an 86-85 victory at Staples Center last April, while winning outright as 13 ½-point underdogs. Lakers' center Andrew Bynum will sit out his third straight game, continuing his four-game suspension after a flagrant foul committed in the final loss of the second round series to the Mavericks.

What else to watch for:

-- The Hawks play their season opener at New Jersey, as Atlanta is laying 4 ½ points against the unrested Nets. Brook Lopez continues to sit out after the Nets' center suffered a foot injury in the final preseason game at New York. Atlanta put together a 9-7 ATS record as a road favorite last season, but two of those losses came at New Jersey.

-- The Bucks and Timberwolves play the second of a back-to-back at the Bradley Center, while these two border-state buddies are meeting for the third time in 10 days. Minnesota grabbed a pair of preseason contests against Milwaukee, as the home team won each matchup last season. The Wolves compiled a dreadful 9-15 ATS record against unrested opponents last season, while the Bucks went 14-9 ATS on the second of a back-to-back set.

-- The Kings make the trip to the Pacific Northwest as Sacramento takes on Portland at the Rose Garden. The Blazers put together an 8-5 ATS ledger at home against unrested opponents, while the road team won and covered all three meetings last season. Sacramento has struggled in this series by losing nine of the previous 10 matchups, but the lone victory came at Portland as seven-point 'dogs last January, 96-81. Both teams won at home last night, but the Blazers failed to cover as five-point favorites in a 108-104 win over the Sixers.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Notre Dame plays host to No. 22 Pittsburgh as the two schools tip off Big East play at the Joyce Center on Tuesday night.

Notre Dame has had a rough start to the season. Playing a weak out-of-conference schedule, the Fighting Irish are just 8-5 SU and winless ATS at 0-6-1. They have especially struggled in the paint without star forward Tim Abromaitis, averaging just 34.5 RPG compared to the Panthers’ 39.6. Pittsburgh will need its post play to be at its best with its weakened backcourt, because the Panthers thrived early in the season behind Travon Woodall (8.3 APG) who is now out indefinitely with a groin injury. Both of the Panthers losses have come with Woodall out of the lineup, including in the team’s last game against Wagner, a stunning upset. That loss, however, has made the line closer to even than this contest deserves to be. The Panthers are still a top team in the nation and deserve to be favored by more than the 1.5 points they are giving up, making them the play in this matchup. The pick here is PITTSBURGH to win on the road.

This pair of three-star FoxSheets trends also advise against picking the Irish.

Play Against - Home teams as an underdog or pick (NOTRE DAME) - poor pressure defensive team - forcing <=14 turnovers/game, on Tuesday nights. (93-47 over the last 5 seasons.) (66.4%, +41.3 units. Rating = 3*).

Play Against - Home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (NOTRE DAME) - in a game involving two good defensive teams (63-67 PPG), after a combined score of 155 points or more. (60-26 since 1997.) (69.8%, +31.4 units. Rating = 3*).

Pittsburgh (11-2) is paced on offense by 6-foot-2 guard Ashton Gibbs (17.2 PPG) who is an elite threat from outside, averaging 2.8 three-pointers this season, after averaging over three per game each of the past two seasons. Although they clearly miss Woodall on offense, Nasir Robinson (12.5 PPG) and guard-forward combo Lamar Patterson (9.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.3 APG) have picked up the slack to keep the Panthers going. Robinson, in particular, has been impressive on offense this season with a 68.3% FG Pct. Look for the Panthers to rebound after their bad loss to Wagner.

Notre Dame’s (8-5) slow start has been largely due to the absence of Abromaitis, whose season was cut short after two games with a torn ACL. The Fighting Irish have just two players averaging double-digit points, Eric Atkins (13.9 PPG) and Jerian Grant (12.7 PPG). Crucial to Notre Dame’s chances at combatting the Panthers’ strong rebounding will be Jack Cooley (7.7 PPG), who like Robinson is efficient in the paint, scoring his 9.5 PPG on a 63% shooting clip. But, struggling against weak opponents early in the year, it is tough to justify playing on the Fighting Irish, especially receiving just a couple points. Play against them as a winless team ATS this year.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

After exacting some revenge in Dallas to start the season, the Heat get to pick on an aging and ailing rival at home when they host the Celtics Tuesday night.

It seemed to be the beginning of the end for Boston’s Big Three when the Heat easily eliminated them from the playoffs. And after dropping their opener in New York, the Celtics will head to South Beach with Paul Pierce (heel) likely to be sidelined again. The Heat are motivated, they’ve beaten Boston four in a row SU and ATS at home, and, considering the surgical dismantling of Dallas on Christmas Day, this one could get ugly. MIAMI is the pick to win and cover the double-digit point spread.

The FoxSheets give another reason to avoid playing on the Celtics:

BOSTON is 12-27 ATS (30.8%, -17.7 Units) after a game where they covered the spread over the last 2 seasons. The average score was BOSTON 93.8, OPPONENT 92.8 - (Rating = 1*).

The Celtics did not look good in their season opener, falling behind by as many as 17 in the first half and giving up 62 points in the first 24 minutes before falling short in a 106-104 loss. They got an otherworldly effort from PG Rajon Rondo (31 points, 13 assists) and solid performances from SG Ray Allen (20 points on 7-of-12 shooting) and newly acquired reserve PF Brandon Bass (20 points, 11 rebounds). But they struggled defensively, and the combination of Sasha Pavlovic and Marquis Daniels was a huge downgrade from Pierce.

The Heat, meanwhile, looked every bit the NBA title favorite in their season-opening blowout in Dallas, 105-94 (the game wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate). SF LeBron James (37 points on 11-for-19 shooting, 10 rebounds, 6 assists) and SG Dwyane Wade (26 points on 11-of-21 shooting, 8 rebounds, 6 assists) established themselves as offensive options in the post, something they didn’t do much of last year. Miami made only four three-pointers (and took only seven), but piled up 44 points in the paint. They’ll put serious pressure on aging vets Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O’Neal to protect the paint.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

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